Time to Say Goodbye
Perhaps it was wishful thinking on my part, because the forecast for this week calls for temperatures above 90°. But I spent the weekend cleaning out and rearranging my closets: out with the summer togs, in with the autumn gear. It had gotten to the point where I couldn’t find anything — I couldn’t see anything — because things were packed so tightly on the rods and crammed into the drawers. Dry cleaning bags hanging from the top rod were getting bunched up and caught in the hangers on the lower rod. I couldn’t even close three of the five drawers in my chest of drawers.
In short, it was time for a purging.
I lost count somewhere around 15 bottoms (who knew that I had not one, not two but three pairs of army-green trousers?) and 10 tops (yes, those three cream silk chiffon blouses were all past their sell-by date). I wavered for a moment over keeping an empire-waist, short purple and gray Miu Miu dress from the fall ‘97 collection that surely I’d never wear again, not even in a vintage moment, but had sentimental value to me. In truth, I should have gotten rid of it years ago, but I admit most items, even ones I haven’t worn in years, get a couple of reprieves before they finally go. (At 8 years old, that dress definitely wasn’t even the oldest thing in my closet!) Be strong. Gone.
When all was said and done, I had filled one big suitcase and three large shopping bags, to be dropped off at the local Goodwill store. (It’ll take two trips at least.) I wonder if regulars who shop there lie in wait for my semi-annual purges, just like I stake out Saks in anticipation of the first markdowns of the season. And guess what, I’ve just made room for all those upcoming purchases! It’s the circle of life, no?
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September 12th, 2005 18:41
Nice one. I love purging my closet. The last purge I did netted me two big black garbage bags-full. Since my accountant told me that if I got receipts for my charity donations, I could make deductions on my taxes, I did a spreadsheet of the purchase value of all the items in those garbage bags. $6337.00. Holy wardrobe, Batman! I couldn’t believe it. I drove down to AmVets and bestowed the nice man with the garbage bags. He, in turn, bestowed up on me a receipt card. This I took home and calculated the “fair market value” of the clothes I’d donated. 25% of $6337.00 = OMG!
September 12th, 2005 18:48
My last purge netted two big black garbage bags-full. Since my accountant told me that if I got receipts for my charity donations, I could make deductions on my taxes, I did a spreadsheet of the purchase price of all the items. $6337.00. Holy wardrobe, Batman! I calculated the “fair market value” (which I deemed to be about 1/4 their retail price) of the clothes I’d donated. 25% of $6337.00 = OMG! Only $1584.25! It was an eye-opening experience.
There is a point to all this yammering: I wonder what your clothes would be worth at purchase price, and at “fair market value” as you seem to have more splendiforous clothes than I . . . .
September 12th, 2005 23:46
A tax write-off would be great, but I’m almost scared to tally up the value of my giveaways. When I went through a transatlantic move some years ago, I had to do an inventory of all my possessions for insurance purposes, and I was mortified to realize that my clothing alone had a replacement value of WELL over $100,000. And that was before I had a real shopping problem, LOL!
September 13th, 2005 03:52
I if I lived in NYC instead of Houston, I’d be at that Goodwill store right now, in my ancient ripped up jeans and a big t-shirt with unkempt hair. ‘Course if it were here, then I’d feel guilty for taking from what will undoubtedly go to Katrina victimes. Darn social conscience. Wait this is all hypothetical anyway. Darn hypothetical guilt!!!